Electric switch



(No Model.)

A. G. FREY. ELECTRIC SWITCH.

No. 432,234. Patented July 15, 1890.

ym/522a: qgwwemlliw. 64/ U pef UNITED STATES PATENT ELECTRIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 432,234, dated July 15,1890.

' Application filed January 16, 1890. Serial No. 337,134. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARNOLD O. FREY, a citizen of the United States,residing at \Vilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented'certain new and useful Improvements inElectric Snap- Switches; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part ofthis specification.

My invention relates to an improved electrical switch; and it consistsin ametallic post mounted on a plate of suitable insulating material,and having attached thereto a threeprongecl contact-piece adapted to berevolved and brought into or out of contact with a pivoted contact,thereby insuring a substan- 'tial connection, together With certainother details of construction and combination of parts, as will be fullyset forth hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of myimproved switch, showing the same set to complete an electrical circuit.Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same. Fi g. 3 is a sectional planview showing the contact broken.

To construct a switch in accordance with my invention I provide abase-plate a of suitable insulating material, and rigidly attach theretoa metallic bearing 1). Mounted in a vertical position in this bearing Z)and in the base-plate a is a short shaft 0, having securely fastenedthereto a three.- Janged contact-piece (Z, resting on a washer e, andhaving arranged above a small washer f and spiral spring g, which servesto keep the same in position and permits the contact-piece d to rideover a temporary stop 1', arranged beneath the bearing Z). Pivoted tothe base-plate a is a contactrpiece 70, against which one of the tangs drests to form an electrical connections This contact is provided with aspring Z, which draws the same toward the revolving contact (Z, and saidcontact 70 is prevented from a greater forward movement than necessaryby a check-pin s and revolving contact d from any backward movement byan offset at the rear of the contact portion m. The

contact ends of the several tan gs (Z are formed of an eccentric curveby a radius to one side of the center, as is also the curved contactportion m of the pivoted contact 7r,which gives a better and largercontact-surface.

A suitable cap or cover 0 is placed over the switch, and a handle 19attached to the top of the shaft 0, which serves as a means of operatingthe same.

In operation the one wire 1) is connected to the bearing 1) and theother to the pivoted contact-piece 7o. 1 In order to form an electricalconnection, one of the tangs (Z is revolved against the piece k, and thecurrent from the wire passes through the tang (Z to the shaft 0, thenceto the bearing 1), andto the wire '11. To break the connection, thehandle 13 is revolved until one of the tangs (Z comes in contact withthe stop 2', which leaves" the revolving contact in a position such asshown at Fig. 3 on the drawings. These tangs (Z, moving or scraping overthe contact-piece, will keep the contact-s u rface bright and clean,which is essential in forming sure connection.

Having thus described myinvention, whatl claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s

'1. The herein'described switch, consisting of the base-plate a, thecurved arm-bearing b and shaft 0, the contact-piece (Z, provided with.tangs, the spring g, arranged on the top of the said contact-piece d,the pivoted contact 7c, and spring Z, and the handle p, substantially asand for the purpose described.

2. The herein-described switch, consisting of the base-plate a, thecurved armbearing b, the shaft a, mounted therein, the pivoted bar 70,actuated by a spring Z, the revolving contact cZ, adapted to moveagainst or come in contact with said bar 70, and a means for checkingthe revolving motion of the same, and a device for preventing anybackward movement of'the said revolving contact, substantially asdescribed.

Intestimony that I claim the foregoing I hereunto affix my signaturethis 23d day of December, A.- D. 1880.

ARNOLD C. FREY. [L. s]

In presence of M. E. HARRISON, O. 0'. LEE.

